Making a Sourdough Starter
Cooking Skills: Bread 2
Chapter 2 · Making a Sourdough Starter
Skill goal
Make a wild-yeast starter, keep it healthy and know when it is ready to bake with.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A sourdough starter is a living mixture of flour and water, home to wild yeasts and friendly bacteria. Instead of packet yeast, you use a spoonful of starter to raise your bread. It also gives sourdough its tang. Making one takes about a week or two of daily feeding, and it can then live for years.
What you need
- A clean glass jar (about 500 ml) so you can see the bubbles and mark the level.
- Flour: wholemeal or rye to start (more wild yeast), then strong white.
- Lukewarm water. If your tap water is heavily chlorinated and the starter is slow, try water that has been left out for an hour.
- A warm spot: around 20 to 25°C works best. A cold kitchen means a slower starter.
- Scales, so you can feed in equal weights.
Feeding ratios
| Ratio (starter : flour : water) | Rises and peaks in | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 : 1 : 1 (50 g : 50 g : 50 ml) | About 4 to 8 hours (warm room) | Standard daily feed |
| 1 : 2 : 2 | About 8 to 12 hours | Overnight at room temperature, or a lazier schedule |
| 1 : 5 : 5 | About 12 hours or more | A long gap, or a hot kitchen |
These are guides: starters differ. Watch your own: when it has doubled, is domed and starts to sink, it has peaked and is hungry.
Is it ready?
- It doubles within 4 to 8 hours of a feed, repeatedly, for several days.
- It is bubbly all through, with a domed or slightly wrinkled top.
- It smells pleasantly tangy, not rotten.
- The float test (a spoonful dropped into water floats) is often quoted, but it isn't reliable: a starter that has begun to sink can still raise bread. Trust the doubling.
Starter safety
Is my starter safe? A healthy starter smells tangy, yeasty or a little like vinegar, nail polish remover or beer, and may have a clear or grey liquid on top (often called hooch), which is harmless and can be stirred in or poured off. Fuzzy mould (white, green, blue or black) or pink or orange streaks mean throw it away and start again. Use clean jars and utensils and water that is safe to drink. This is general baking guidance: I haven't found an official UK rule on starters.Sourdough is not gluten-free. Fermenting breaks down some gluten, but sourdough made from wheat, rye or spelt is not safe for people with coeliac disease.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A starter, day by day
A sourdough starter is flour and water in which wild yeasts and bacteria live. You make it by feeding it daily until it is strong enough to raise bread. It takes patience, and it will look uninteresting for the first few days.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 50 g wholemeal flour (wheat or rye), for day 1
- 50 ml lukewarm water, for day 1
- 50 g per feed strong white bread flour for each feed from day 3
- 50 ml per feed lukewarm water for each feed from day 3
- 1 clean glass jar (about 500 ml) and a loose lid or a cloth and rubber band
- Day 1: in a clean jar, stir 50 g wholemeal flour and 50 ml lukewarm water to a thick paste. Cover loosely (not airtight) and leave at room temperature (around 20 to 25°C).
- Day 2: stir it and leave it. There may be a few bubbles or none, and that is normal.
- Day 3: discard all but 50 g of the mixture. Feed with 50 g strong white flour and 50 ml lukewarm water, stir well and cover loosely.
- Days 4 to 7 (or longer): repeat the discard-and-feed every 24 hours. Mark the level with a rubber band on the jar to see how much it rises. It may smell odd and go quiet around day 4 or 5, then wake up again.
- When it is ready (usually day 7 to 14): it doubles in size within 4 to 8 hours of a feed, is full of bubbles, has a domed top and smells pleasantly tangy. Then you can bake with it.
Starter safety
Is my starter safe? A healthy starter smells tangy, yeasty or a little like vinegar, nail polish remover or beer, and may have a clear or grey liquid on top (often called hooch), which is harmless and can be stirred in or poured off. Fuzzy mould (white, green, blue or black) or pink or orange streaks mean throw it away and start again. Use clean jars and utensils and water that is safe to drink. This is general baking guidance: I haven't found an official UK rule on starters.
Level 1 · Routine
Keeping a starter: daily or weekly
A starter needs regular feeding. Choose a routine to suit how often you bake: daily at room temperature, or weekly in the fridge.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 ripe starter, fed 4 to 8 hours ago
- 50 g strong white flour per feed
- 50 ml lukewarm water per feed
- 1 clean jar with a loose lid
- If you bake every day or two: keep the starter at room temperature and feed it every 12 to 24 hours (discard to 50 g, then feed 50 g flour and 50 ml water).
- If you bake once a week: after a feed, let the starter sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until it begins to bubble, then put it in the fridge. Feed it once a week: take it out, discard all but 50 g, feed it and return it to the fridge after an hour or two.
- Before baking: take the starter out of the fridge and feed it once or twice at room temperature, 4 to 12 hours apart, until it doubles within 4 to 8 hours. Use it when it is at its peak (domed and bubbly), before it sinks.
- Stir in or pour off any liquid on top. If the starter has been neglected for a few weeks, stir, discard most of it and feed twice before using it.
Don't throw all the discard away
The discard is perfectly good to cook with (see the next two recipes), and 50 g of starter feeds well on 50 g of flour. You can also keep the amount smaller (for example 20 g starter, 40 g flour and 40 ml water per feed) so less is wasted.
Level 2 · Use the discard
Sourdough discard pancakes
Discard adds a gentle tang and tenderness to batter. These pancakes are quick, forgiving and a good way to use up what you throw away.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 100 g sourdough discard (unfed starter)
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 Lion-marked egg
- 150 ml milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter or oil for the pan
- Whisk the discard, egg and milk together in a bowl. Stir in the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until just combined (a few lumps are fine).
- Heat a little butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in a ladleful of batter and cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbles form on the top and the underside is golden.
- Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through. Keep warm and repeat.
Hot pan, egg and allergens
Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.Allergens: wheat, egg and milk. Wash your hands after handling raw egg.
Level 2 · Crackers
Sourdough discard crackers
Discard makes excellent crackers: crisp, a little tangy and good with cheese (see Cooking Skills: Cheese and Party Snacks 1, chapter 2). Roll them very thin so they snap.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 100 g sourdough discard
- 60 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 40 g butter, melted, or 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary, or seeds (optional)
- 1 pinch flaky salt for the top
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Mix the discard, flour, melted butter, salt and rosemary to a soft dough. Knead for 1 minute.
- Roll out very thin (about 2 mm) on a lightly floured surface between sheets of baking paper. Cut into squares, prick with a fork and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and crisp, turning the tray halfway. Cool on a rack. Go for gold, not dark brown, because very brown starchy foods contain more acrylamide.
Hot trays and allergens
Hot ovens, trays and steam: use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out rather than reaching in, and put hot trays and tins on a heatproof surface. If you put a tray of boiling water in the oven for steam, pour it carefully with the oven door open a little and your face well back: the steam is far hotter than the water.Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.
Experiments
Experiment
Flour type
What does the starter prefer.
- Start three small starters (20 g flour and 20 ml water each) with wholemeal, rye and white flour, side by side. Feed each daily and watch which is bubbly first.
Look for: Wholemeal and rye starters usually wake up sooner than white because the bran carries more wild yeast and nutrients.
Experiment
Feeding ratio
A short or a long feed.
- Feed one jar at 1 : 1 : 1 and another at 1 : 5 : 5. Mark the level and note when each peaks.
Look for: The 1 : 1 : 1 starter peaks sooner and sinks sooner. The 1 : 5 : 5 starter peaks later and holds its peak longer.
Experiment
Temperature
Warm or cool.
- Keep one fed starter in a warm spot (about 25°C, for example near the oven) and another in a cool room or the fridge door. Compare after 6 hours.
Look for: The warm starter is bubbling and risen; the cool one is slow. Warm speeds fermentation and cold slows it.
Experiment
Doubling or floating
How to judge ripeness.
- Drop a spoonful of starter into water at its peak, an hour after the peak and 3 hours after. Note whether it floats.
Look for: Floating often fails once the starter has begun to sink, even though it is still active. This is why the float test shouldn't be your only judge.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day-by-day starter | ||||
| Feeding routine | ||||
| Discard pancakes | ||||
| Discard crackers | ||||
| Flour type | ||||
| Feeding ratio | ||||
| Temperature | ||||
| Float test |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No bubbles after 5 days | Too cold or too little flour | Move somewhere warmer (about 24°C); use wholemeal or rye; keep feeding |
| Bubbled, then went quiet on day 4 or 5 | A normal lull as the bacteria change | Keep feeding daily; it usually revives |
| Liquid on top (hooch) | Hungry starter | Stir it in or pour it off; feed more often or use a bigger feed |
| Smells of nail polish remover | Very hungry | Discard and feed; feed more often |
| Mould or pink/orange streaks | Contamination | Throw it away and start again with a clean jar |
| Rises then sinks quickly | Fed too little or too warm | Increase the feed ratio; use it at its peak |
Safety and allergens
Is my starter safe? A healthy starter smells tangy, yeasty or a little like vinegar, nail polish remover or beer, and may have a clear or grey liquid on top (often called hooch), which is harmless and can be stirred in or poured off. Fuzzy mould (white, green, blue or black) or pink or orange streaks mean throw it away and start again. Use clean jars and utensils and water that is safe to drink. This is general baking guidance: I haven't found an official UK rule on starters.Sourdough is not gluten-free. Fermenting breaks down some gluten, but sourdough made from wheat, rye or spelt is not safe for people with coeliac disease.
Raw flour: flour is a raw ingredient and can carry bacteria such as E. coli, which are killed only by baking or cooking. Don't taste raw dough, don't let children eat or play with it, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after handling flour and dough.
Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a starter from flour and water.
- I know what a healthy starter looks and smells like, and when to throw it away.
- I can feed it daily or weekly.
- I can tell when it is ripe to bake with.
- I use the discard rather than waste it.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Bread 2, chapter 3 is Your First Sourdough: mixing, folding, shaping and baking a loaf with your starter.